Hike Reviews
October 15, 2020
Short but intense
The climb to the tower is steep but only about a half mile. The views from the top of the fire tower are the best I've ever experienced and I've done quite a few hikes and been on a few fire towers. The remainder the hike after the tower is about half downhill and then half relatively level but there are no more uphills.
October 18, 2017
Good hike, great views on tower
This is a nice quickie that can be done in about 2 and a half to 3 hours. Fire tower is in great condition and views from the landing are great. The red trail is a bit tricky during fall, though. The blazes are spotty and unless you can see the trail its a bit of guesswork. Make sure to bring offline copies of maps or guides. This hike is so far into the boonies it is jarring. About 16 miles from the trailhead is where the signal ends/starts.
November 18, 2014
Thanks for the quick response
<p>Thanks for the quick response Jeremy.</p>
November 17, 2014
Revised GPS coordinates
<p>Our apologies for the incorrect GPS coordinates for this particular hike. As you mention, the coordinates were for a location near Tunis Pond. The coordinates have been updated to accurately reflect the parking location as described by yourself as well as the original text description.<br><br>Thanks again for pointing this out, and I'm glad you enjoyed the hike!<br><br>~Jeremy, TC Cartographer</p>
November 17, 2014
Hiked 11/15/14. Trailhead GPS Coordinates seem a bit off.
<p>We hiked to tower from the parking area described above on November 15, 2014. About an inch of snow covered the ground in most places with maybe a bit more at the higher elevations, but the trail was still very visible and well-marked. The r/t hike to the summit took us under three hours and that allowed for some brief rests to soak-in the beautiful scenery, have a sip of the spring water that comes out of a pipe tapped into the mountain just above the 3,500-foot mark, and climb the tower at the summit. This was a great hike and a lot of bang for your buck if you have time constraints. The views from the fire tower are awesome and even the drive in to the trailhead is rewarding. Great hike. Thanks to the NYNJTC for posting this. I'll definitely be heading back to this region to explore more. </p>
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<p>Just a note: It was a bit confusing to find the actual trailhead as the GPS coordinates above show it to be at a location further East on Beaver Kill. In fact, the trailhead it is up Turnwood Road, which bears left to the north off of Beaver Kill Road. It's easily visible on Google Maps insert above if you look for Balsam Lake, which lies just to the West of Black Brook and is at the terminus of Turnwood Road. Again, the text description above is correct, it's just that the GPS of the trailhead is slightly off, FWIW.</p>